[mumofstig]

(And we've had an email from Southern Water asking us to be sparing! Blimey, Bewl Water was finished years ago, surely it's full by now)!

Stay calm and think of England, eh?

SE Water seems to be doing better, although we've had the same dry/scorching weather lately 

Our reservoirs  in Arlington and Ardingly, store up to 8,300 million litres of water …..Currently these reservoirs are approximately 100% and 96% full.

[al78]

(And we've had an email from Southern Water asking us to be sparing! Blimey, Bewl Water was finished years ago, surely it's full by now)!

Stay calm and think of England, eh?

The problem with the weather lockdowns we get now is we get too much rain anbd flooding in one period, followed by semi-arid for 2-3 months, which makes water management harder than if we had the good old fashioned UK climate where dry and wet days were interspersed regularly. I have enough water butts to store a cubic meter of water on my plot which were full after the February drenching, but now after nearly two months of hardly any rain, I have nearly rut out. I would have thought that a cubic meter of stored rainwater would get me through a typical UK dry spell, but evidently not these days.

[GraciesGran]

Done.  Husband broke surface up yesterday.  Today it's been covered in manure and grass cuttings, about 3" deep , black plastic pegged down on top.  Will let it brew till later in the year.  Lots of aching muscles,  supper (toad in the hole with onion gravy as a thank you),  wine and an early night.

[Yorkie]

Well done - sounds like a plan.

Also wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading the word "grotty" - haven't heard it for years 

[mumofstig]

Yorkie, perhaps it's a regional thing, still use grotty a lot doun Souf 

[Growster...]

Yorkie, perhaps it's a regional thing, still use grotty a lot doun Souf 

I thought it came from Liverpool? (Short for 'grotesque')?

Anyway, we use the term 'Grotsbers' because we're posh, and have just had toast and strawberry jam (Fortnum and Mason, H.A Rodds, and Selfie-Ridgers)..;0~

(...actually we have, but Twongos jam doesn't have the same ring, does it..:0)

[Growster...]

Er, Gracie - er - East Sussex...

You - er - don't know - er - 'Derek', do you...?

I only ever knew one 'Gracie' in East Sussex, (except in 'Rabbit Proof Fence', which is one of the best films I've ever watched)...

No names - no pack drill...

[Gleavo]

We've got sandy clay soil here in sunny Wirral. I couldn't get the fork in a compacted dry bed last week so I basically made lots of deep hole forks where I could, broke those further with a pointed spade and gave it a good hosing down. Left it overnight and it was do-able the next day.

I also used the best thing I've ever bought for the plot after forking:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bellota-Handle-Agriculture-Gardening-Black/dp/B01NC12389

When dealing with Spanish soil - use a Spanish soil tool :-)